Machine for use in making boxes



Aug, '39, 193%. I s. F. BAUWENS 1,773,511

' MACHINE FOR USE IN MAKING BOXES Original Filed.Feb. 2, 1924 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY g.v 9, 930. s. F. BAUWENS 1,773,511

MACHINE FOR USE IN MAKING BOXES Origi nal Filed Feb. 2, 1924 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR ATTORNEY Qg- 1930 v s F. BAUWENS 1,773,511

' MACHINE USE Il l MAKING BOXES Original Filed 2,1924 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNFX Aug. 19,.1930.. I AUWEN 1,773,511

MAGHINE FOR USE IN MAKING BOXES Original Filed Feb. 2, 1924 9 Sheets-Shet 4 HIIHHII mTm INVENTOR ATTO R N EV 3 8 9, 1930. s. F. BAUWENS 1,773,511

I MACHINE FOR U SE IN MAK ING BOXES Original File 1924 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Will mllw Ill av g5.

ATTORNE\ Aug. 19, 1930 5, FBAUWENS 1,773,511

I MACHINE FOR USE: IN MAKING aoxss Original Filed Feb. 2, 1924 e'sheets-she'e't- '7 ATTORNEY A ,1 s. F. BAUWENS 1,773,511

: MACHINE FOR vUSE IN MAKING BOXES v v .ofi nal Filed Feb.2. 1924 '9 Shees-Sheet 8 INVENTOR ATTO H N EV Aug. 19, 1930; s. F. BAUWENS I Q L L MACQINE FOR USE IN MAKING BQXES Original Filed Feb. 2, 1924 '9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Lfi" .19.

, id 4e 65 J/ INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERAPHINE F. .BAU'WEN S, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WIREBOUNIDS PATENTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE MACHINE non USE IN MAKING BOXES Original application filed February 2, 1924, Serial No.

' 5, 1926, Serial No. 146,498.

This application is a division of my co- February 2, 1924.

My invention relates to box or crate staplingmachines and particularly-to machines for securing ends or heads to a box or crate.

v Among other objects, my invention is intended to provide an improved machine for securing ends or heads to abox or crate; to provide such a machine with staple-forming and driving mechanism operable within a box or crate; to provide such a machine with two stapling heads operable within a box or crate and close to opposite sides thereof; to provide such a machine with improved means for positioning the box or crate and its end or head during the stapling operations; to provide such a machine with means for feeding the box or crate and itsend or head between stapling operations including means to control the feed movements of the work to locate the staples in the work; and to provide such a machine with mechanism for forming and driving either round or chisel-pointed staples.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section of a box end stapling machine embodying the invention and showing a box and its end or head thereon in position to be acted upon by .the machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line'2'2 of Fig. 4; certain parts being broken away for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of themachine.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the-machine.

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged sectional side elevations ofthe staple-forming and driving mechanism in different phases of its operation.

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged detailed views of the mechanism for pointing the staples, Fig. 9 being a side elevation of the forming dies between which the. staple wire is pointed and Fig. 10 being a plan view of the under side of the stationary die.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of 690,170. Divided and this application filed November Renewed. September 4, 1929.

a round-pointed staple made on the illustra- I tive machine. I

Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a chisel-pointed staple made on the illustrative machine.

Fig. 13 is an end view of the stapling arm seenfrom the line 13-13 of Fig.3; the loop bar of the staple-forming mechanism being left out for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of the stapleforming and driving mechanism taken on the line 14-14 of Fig. 3. n

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on the line 15'l5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 16is a sectional view taken on the line 1616 of Fig.2.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken on the line 1717 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view taken on the line 1.818 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are sectional side elevations of the work-feeding mechanism sh owing the position of the parts during different phases of its operation.

. Fig. 22 is a top plan view of the stapling arms with a box and its end or head being operated upon; the full lines showing the position of the box when the machine is started and the dotted lines showing its position after the third staple has been driven.

thereof to form staples out of staple stock wire automatically fed thereto and to drive the same through the end or head and into cleats of the box or crate. -Means are provided to position the box or crate and its end or head during the stapling operations, to feed the. work between stapling operations, to clinch staples which may be driven through the cleats, and to form either chisel-pointed or round-pointed staples.

The several means and their operating mechanisms are supported by body frames 1 connected by a tie-rod 2 and tie-bar 3.

The staple-forming and driving units,,of which there are twoyare carried by stapler arms 4 whichare supported by; tie-rod 2 and tie-bar 3, the upper rear'end of said armsbeing provided with bearings 5 to receive tie-rod 2 and the lower rear end of said arms being provided with a foot'6 to engage tiebar 3. Stapler arms 4 are relatively adjustable along tie-rod 2 and tie-bar 3 to accommodateboxes or crates of different size and may be secured in any desired position along tie-rod 2 by set screws 7.

' The mechanism for clamping'the work and clinching the staples is carried by two arms 8 bolted to upward extensions 9 of arms 4 so that a clamping and clinching mechanism is provided directly -.above each staple-forming and driving unit carried by arms 4.

The staple stock wire 10 for each stapling unit is carried by a reel 11 on a shaft 12 Sup ported by brackets bolted to frame 1, and is fed through a tube 15 to the staple-form'- ing mechanism at the nose .ofarm 4 by feed rollers 13 and 14 mounted on stud shafts secured to arm 4. The staple-forming and driving mechanism, which is located at the nose of each 'arm 4, consists of a. staple-former 16 having a cutting edge 17 a' loop bar. 18 about which the staple is bent by the stapleformer, and a driver 19 to drive the staple from the staple-former upward into the work. The staple-forming and driving mech anism as thus far described is well known and, therefore, need not be described in detail, it being sufiicient here to say that the proper length of staple stock-wire 10 for a staple is fed over the staple-former 16 and beneath the loop bar 18. The staple-former is then raised cutting off the wire between cutting edge 17 and a fixed cutter 2O bolted to arm 4 and bending the wire upwardabout the loop bar 18. When the formation of the staple is completed, the driver is raised forcing the loop bar 18 out of line and driving the staple out of the staple-former into the work. The parts are then returned to initial position and' another length of wire is fed to position to be severed and formed into a staple; The staple-former and driver are raised and lowered by a rack-plate 52 meshing with a sector gear 51 which is rocked by a reciprocating arm 53 through alever 54 pivoted to the side of arm 4; said arm 53"being supported at one end by lever 54 and at the otherend by a lever 59. Lever 59, which is the same size as lever 54, is pivoted at one end-to arm 53 andat the other end to the side of arm 4.

Heretofore, staples formed from staple stock wire by the staple-forming mechanism just described, by reason of the manner in which the wire was severed by the cuttersl? '23 in a plate' secured to arm 4 and a movable forming die 22 reciprocable vertically in a plate 24 bolted to arm 4, the arrangement being such that the wire passes between said dies and in position to be squeezed between them when movable die 22 is forced upward against stationary die 21.. The forming dies are so formed as to indent the wire on either side thereof, as shown in Fig; 9.

To form a chisel-pointed staple, the wire is held stationary while the movable die 22 is forced upward toward stationary die 21 a sufiicient number of times (five in the illustrative machine) to indent the wire on either side without, however, completely severing the wire but leaving sufiicient attachment to feed the wire forward to the staple-forming mechanism proper where the thin attachment at the point of indentation is severedby the cutters 17 and 20, thus producing the chiseldenture which is subsequently completely severed by the cutters l7 and 20 to form the round point shown in Fig. 11.

,of the forming dies and formingaround in- Movable forming die 22 isdriven upward toward stationary forming die 21 by a toggle 25, the upper end of which is held' in an open- .ing in plate 24 and contacts with the lower end .of die 22. The lower end of toggle 25 is pivoted to the side of stapler arm 4. Die 22 is held in contact with the upper end of toggle 25 by a spring 26. Toggle 25 is operated by an arm 27 carried by a rod 28, which arm and rod are reciprocable in plates bolted to the side of stapler arm 4. A spring 29 keeps to gle 25 in contact with arm 27.

or revolving wire 10 to form the roundpointed staples, mechanism is provided to a plate 32 bolted to plate 24, means for'operating said split chuck to.grip the wire, and ratchet means for revolving said split chuck to present difierent portions of the wire 10 to the action of the forming dies 21 and 22.

Split chuck is caused to""cl'( se upon and 41 into the machine until the left-hand end grip the wire 10 when it is forced into a cone; of the bars 41, viewing Fig. 19, are flush with shaped collar 98 which is provided with ball bearings 99 to facilitate rotation of the chuck as hereinafter explained. Split chuck 1s forced into cone shaped collar 98 by moving sleeve 31 to the left Liewing Fig. 2. Sleeve 31 is moved to the left byan arm 33 pivoted at its upper end to the side of stapler arm 4 and the lower end of which lies in the path of travel of a cam-plate 34carried by arm 27. The arrangement is such that when arm 33 rides upon cam-plate 34, sleeve 31 is moved to the left viewing Fig. 2 and split chuck 30 is caused to grip wire 10. When cam-plate 34 is withdrawn from engagement with arm 33, a spring 35 moves sleeve 31 and arm 30 to the right, viewing Fig. 2, thus releasmg split chuck 30 from its gripping engagement with the wire 10. f 4

The-mechanism for revolving split chuck 30 to make theround-pointed staple comprises a spring-pressed pawl 36 reciprocable vertically in plate 24 and operable at each upstroke to engage and move a ratchet 37 on sleeve 31. Pawl 36 is moved upward by a bell-crank lever 38 pivoted to arm 4, the upper end of said lever contacting with the lower end of pawl 36 and the lower end of said lever being in the path of travel of abut inent 39 on arm 27 so that when arm 27 is moved to the left, viewing Fig. 2," as hereinafter explained, abutment 39 will engage and move bell-crank lever 38 thereby raisingpawl 36 and revolving ratchet 37 and sleeve 31.

. Pawl 36 is returned to its lowermost position and bell-crank lever 38 is held incontact with abutment 39, by means ofa' spring 40. It will be understood that .the ,mechanism for revolving sleeve 31 need not be incorporated a in the.machine if chisel-pointed staples are desired.

The boxor crate and its end or head are positioned and fed on two feed bars 41, each supported by a "stapler arm 4 and slidable along said arm on guide'rails 42. Each bar 41 is provided with an adjustable stop plate 43 which may be secured.byset screws at any point along said bar and against which the end or head of the box is positioned when placed on the bar 41. by the operatorfi \The stop plates 43 each carry a positioning arm 44 formed as shown in 4, which arms force the box or crate sides into close contact with the end or head and hold the sides in said position during the work-feeding and stapling operations.

When the box or crate and its end or head are placed on the bars 41 by the operator, the bars 41 are in the extended position shown 1n Fig. 20, having reached this extended po sition upon completion of the stapling operation on the preceding box or crate. After placing the end or head of the box or crate on the bars 41, the operator pushes the bars been pushed into the machine, the machine is started and the bars 411carrying the work are automatically fed step-by-step out of the machine by the mechanism next described, the staplerforming. and driving mechanism operating between feed'steps to drive staples into the work.

,Each bar 41 is fed out of the machine by mechanism carried by its supporting stapler arm 4 and, as the mechanisms on each arm iire identical, a description of one will suffice, it being understood that the two feeding mechanisms are arranged to act in unison. Bar 41 is provided on its underside with rack teeth 45 which are engaged by a pawl 46 pivoted at 47 to a plate 48 reciprocable hori Plate 48 is returned to the right, viewing Fig.

3, by a spring 62. The extent of movement of plate 48 and feed pawl 46 may be controlled by an adjustment screw 63 carried by a plate 64 bolted to arm 4. Thus the distance between staples may be controlled by adjusting screw 63, it being understood that a staple is driven between feed steps of the work and after the work comes to rest.

Mechanism is provided to disengage pawl 46 from rack teeth 45 upon completion of each box-ending operation soas to permit the operator to push bars 41 with the materials for the next box thereon back into the machine for the next box-ending operation. Said mechanism consistsof a cam-plate 65 carried by adjustable stop-plate 43, which cam-plate 65 engages a pin 66 carried by pawl 46 and forces pawl 46 out of engage ment with rack teeth 45. When cam-plate 65 engages and lowers pin 66, notch 57 in pawl 46 will be raised out of engagement with plunger 55, which plunger 55 will enter a notch 67 in pawl 46 and hold pawl 46 out of engagement with rack teeth 45 until pawl Y with rack teeth 45, in which position the pawl is held by plunger 55 which enters notch 57 in the pawl 46. The engagement between camplate 68 and pin 66 also serves to prevent bars 41 from being pushed too far into the machine by the operator. Thus it will be.

'4 seen that mechanism is provided automatirally to associate the feed pawl with the rack teeth when the bars 41 have been pushed into the machine by the operator and to C01- rectly position the work for the first stapling operation, and that mechanisntis also provided to disassociate said pawl and said teeth when the bars have fed the ended box out of the machine.

The clamping and clinching mechanism which is carried by clincher arms 8 consists of a clincher. anvil 7O slidable vertically in side plates 71 and operated by a sector gear 72 which meshes with gear teeth 73 cut in clincher anvil 70. Sector gear 72 which is journalled in side plates 71 is operated by a reciprocating rod 74 through a lever 75. The arrangement is such that the clincher anvil TO'is forced downward and held on the box parts during the staple-driving operation, thusclamping the box parts on the stapling 2 arm 4 during the driving of the staple and clinching any staple legs which may be driven clear through the box parts.

Themechanisms hereinabove described for feeding staple stock wire, for forming and driving the staples, for forming chisel or round-pointed staples, for positioning and feeding the box parts, and for clamping the box parts and clinching the staples are all operated from a main drive shaft 76--joufnalled in supports 1.

Feed rollers 13 and 14 for feeding the staple stock wire are rotated intermittently by a ratchet 77 and a pawl 81, said ratchet and pawl mechanism being actuated by a cam 78 on shaft 76 acting on a roller 79 carried by Reciprocating arm 53, whichthrough the:

train of mechanism hereinabove described operates the staple forming and driving mechanism at thenose of stapler arm 4 and also the work-feeding mechanism, is operated by a pitman 84 from an eccentric 85 on shaft 76. As shown in Fig. 3, when arm 53 is moved to the. left, the bars 41 carrying the work are moved forwarda step and the staple-former and driver are lowered, and

shaft 76, said' five actuations occurring during approximately one-half a revolution of shaft 76. During the other half revolution of shaft 76, cam 86 permits spring 88 to hold rod 28 far'enough to the right viewing Fig. 2, to r leas the grip of split chuck 30 on the staple stock wire so that wire for the next staple maybe fed forward to the nose of arm 4. v

Rod 74 which operates the clincher mechanism on arm 8 is actuated by a cam 89 acting on a roller 90 carried on the lower end of bell-crank lever 91 pivoted at 92 tothe arm 4 and the upper end 6f which is pivotally secured to the end of rod 74. A spring 93 holds roller-9O in'contact with cam 89.

Drve shaft- 76 is driven from a drive pulley 9 which may be clutched to the drive shaftby a suitable clutch mechanism. In the illustrative machine, a clutch of the well known pin type is shown, which clutch is thrown in .by stepping on a foot-pedal 95. A suitable brake 1011s also provided to stop shaft 76 when the clutch connection between said shaft and the drive pulley is broken,

said brake being controlled by the foot pedal 95. An idler pulley 96 is provided to which the drive belt may be shifted when the machine is idle.

The operating cams and eccentrics on shaft 76 are shiftable thereon along a keyway 97 so that they may be shifted with arms 4 and 8 when said arms are. shifted along tie-rod 2 in order to accommodate boxes or crates of different dimensions. To insure proper alignment between arms 4 and Sand the cams and eccentrics which operate the mechanisms carried by said arms, plates 100 are secured to the opposite sides ofarms 4,.which plates extend down to the shaft 76 and maintain the cams and eccentricsin proper position on the shaft 76. L

The operation of, the machine is as follows:

The operator first adjusts the two stapling arms the proper ,distance apart to accommodate the size of box or crate to be ended. That is, he spaces arms 4 such a distance apart that when the box to be ended is slipped over said arms, as shown in Figs. 1 and 22, the arms will contact with opposite inner faces of the box sides. He thenadjusts stop plates 43 on bars 41 the proper distance from .the

end of said bars, that is, such a distance from the end of the bars that when an end is placed against the stops 43, the opposite extremity of the end will be flush with the endsof bars 41. He then adjusts screws 63 to control the extent of movement of the work between stapling operations and threads the staple stock wire in the usual and well known manner. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 20, he places a box end on the bars 41 and against the stops 43 and wraps the box or crate around the end and the bars 41 pushing the box or crate up against the stops 43. During this operation the arms 44 position the sides of the box or crate in close contact with the sidesof the bars 41 and then hold the box or crate in such position. The operator then pushes the bars 41 with the box materials positioned thereon into the machine until the plates 68 on the arms 41 contact with pins 66 carried by pawls 46 thereby stopping further movement of arms 41 and throwing pawls 46 into engagement with rack teeth 45. The parts are then in the position shown in Fig. 19. The operator,

then steps on foot-pedal95 whereupon drive pulley 94 is clutched todrive shaft 76. Upon revolution of shaft 76, eccentrics 85 pull plates 53 to the right viewing Fig. 3 which causes -sectorgears'51 to operate the stapleformers and drivers each of which forms and drives a staple into the work. Movement of plates 53 to the right also moves pawls- 46 to the right until they are stopped by the screws 63 contacting 'with plates 48. At the same time, cams 89 operate the clincher anvils to clamp the work during the staple-driving operations. During the staple-drivingoperations and while the staple stock wire is stationary, cams 86 01)- erate rods 88 which cause split chucks 30 to grip the wires and toggles 25 to operate movable dies 22 to indent the wires. At the same time, ball-crank levers 38 are causing pawls 36 to turn the wires between operations of movable dies 22. When movable dies 22 have been operated five times by the points on cams 86, the flat sides of said cams permit springs 88 to move rods 28 to the right viewing Fig. 2, thus releasing the staple stock wires from the grip of-split chucks 30.

Cams 78 then operate ratchet and pawl mechanisms 77 to feed forward staple'stock wires for the next staples and eccentrics 85 move plates 53 to the left, viewing Fig. 3, which movementcauses pawls 46 to feed bars 41 and the work into position to receive the next staples. This operation is "repeated: at

each. cycle. of-the drive shaft 76, the work being fed forward step-by-step by thereciprocating pawls 46 and a staple being driven at each side of the box between each feed step of the work. The step-by-step feed of the w0rk,...continues until cam-plates 65 strike pins 66th pawls 4,6 and throw the pawls out ator then takes his-foot. ofl foot-pedal 95 stopping the machine and removes the ended box from the, bars 41 and places materials for the next ending operation thereon.

Applicants invention has-many advantages over prior art end stapling machines. The double head feature reduces the time required to end a box as the end is stapled to. the cleats .of both sides of the box atthe same time. The mechanism for making chisel or round-pointed staples makes it possible to form and drive longer staples into the work, thus insuring a more secure attach: ment of the end to the 'cleats of the box or crate. The work-positioning and feeding mechanism, which automatically positions and feeds the work after it is pushed into the machine, makes itpossible for the operator of staples into-the work the proper distances apart without any attention on the part of the operator; In prior art end stapling machines, it was necessary for the workman to.

position and feed the box and its end during the entire end stapling operation with the result that the character of the product was dependent almost entirely on the skill and attention of the operator. In applicants machine, on-the other hand, the operator simply placesthe materials on the work-holder and pushes the work-holder and materials into the machine, after which the machine holds the work in correct position and feeds it out of the machine without, further attention on the part of the. operator, thus eliminating all chance of defective product resulting from the carelessness or ineficiency of the operator.

Obviously,"the invention is not limited to the specific construction and mode of operation hereinbefore described for illustration,

nor is'it indis ensable that all features of I the invention e used conjointly since they may be used to advantage in various combinations'iand sub-combinations as defined 1n fasten an end thereto comprising means to feed staple stock wire to. said mechanism,

means operable upon said staple stockwire to form chisel-pointed staples,-and means to drive said staples into box parts.

2. A box-end-stapling machine comprising staple-forming and driving mechanism operablewithin a box to fasten an end thereto, said mechanism including a wire cutter, means to feed staple stock wire to said mechanism, and means operable upon said staple stock wire at potential stapling points before it reaches said wire cutterwhereby chisel pointed staples are formed and driven.

3. A box-end-stapling machine comprising staple-forming and driving mechanism operable within a boxtto fasten an end thereto; means to feed staple stock wire to said mechanism, and .means operable upon said staple stock wire to produce chisel-pointedstaples. v

4. A box-end-stapling machine comprising staple-forming and-driving mechanism operable within a box to fastenan end thereto, means to feed staple stock wire to said mechnism,-and means to indent said staple stock wire at potential staple points to produce chisel-pointed staples.

5. A box-end-stapling machine comprising a pair of staple-forming and driving mechanisms operable within a box and close to opposite sides thereof to fasten and end thereto,

means to feed a staple stock wire to each of said mechanisms; and means operable upon said staple stock wire to form chisel-pointed staples. 1 I p 6. A machine for use in making boxes com prising, in combination, means 'to feed box parts, and mechanism to'form chisel-pointed staples from staple-stock wire and drive them into thebox parts; said mechanism including means to indent the wire at potential staple points, mansto sever the wire at said points, and means to feed the wire from the indenting means .to the cutting means.

A machine for usem making boxes comprising, in combination, a supportfor the box parts, staple forming and driving mechanism adapted to form chisel-pointed staples from staple-stockwire and drive them into the box parts, and means to cause "relative progression between said mechanism and the box parts; said mechanism including means to indent the wire at potential staple points, means to sever the wire at said po1 nts,.andf

means to feed the wire from the indenthlg means to the cutting means v In testimony whereof,- I have signed my name to this specification.

'SERAPI-IINE FQBAUWENS'. 

